Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-05-20
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TER.
OLYMPIA. FRIDAY EVENING, NAY 20. 1857.
A Bright Outlook.

A Bright Outlook.
What would you say, Mr. Conserva-
tive Citizen Qess tender-hearted writers
would call you Old Mossback) if We
should assert that Olympia to-day
possesses more of the elements of
greatness, better advantages for devel-
opment, and a surer basis of ultimate
supremacy than any other place on
Puget Sound? You would probably
shrug your shoulder and grunt, just as
you did when that subscription paper
was handed to you few days ago, or
Jump stifflegged," as you do when
any project for harbor improvement is
suggested. Probably you would not
deign more definite answer to prop
osition that looks about as sensible to
you as that cucumbers may by any
process in the occult alchemy Of Ma
ture become reservoirs of sunlight.
Well, we do not blame you. Some
men are made that way" But you
will, we trust, soon as you have
smoothed down the ruff1ed feathers
which rose valliantly as you read the
above vigorous sentences, patiently
listen to the reasons for the faith we
profess, even if you may place peck
ct veto on every proposition stated.
What has made Seattle forge ahead,
except the indomitable energy of her
people? Is it coal? We have mex
haustable beds, just as accessible and
of really superior quality. Is it tim
Der? The best logs supplied to the
mills of the Sound have for many
years come from Budd's Inlet. Is it
agriculture? The fertile valleys of Lew
is, Chehalis, Mason and Thurston were
in times past tributary to Olympia,
and might to-day be in perfect accord,
if spirit of iberality, of harmony, of
thrift and enterprise had been adopted,
in keeping with the new order of things
and the competitive progress that is
inevitable from a rapidly developing
country. Is it manufactures? What
other place on Puget Sound can COM
pete with Olympia, with her unrivaled
water-power, her easy means of trans
portation, and her central position US
base of operations. Is lit maritime con-
siderations? Where is there an harbor
on our great inland sea equal to Budd's
Inlet, land-locked as it is, the nearest
accessible point on the Sound to the
commerce of the Columbia river, and
of sufficient capacity to accommodate
the shipping of the world. Is it beauty
and eligibility of location for the site
Of large city? Here our superiority
is plainly manifest. A moderate ex-
pense will afford us level and uni
form grade that may be extended from
the established base at deep-water to
moderate elevation at the falls of Tum-
water, distance of four miles, while
Seattle ascends from small shelf of
slabs and sawdust over hills and gull
leys that necessarily compel the bury
ing of the rear ends of buildings in
the ground while their fronts rest upon
superstructures which give them the
appearance of pensive individuals sit
ting on the hillside awaiting the adj
vent OF argonauts seeking the golden
fleece! Is it location as railroad CEN
teri Here again the position of Olym-
pia is such that it will ultimately COM
mand the terminal location of an i'm
portant transcontinental system. It is
the only point capable of affording q
grand commercial entrepot, that may
be reached by through lines in the
shortest distance, without paralleling
water with rail communication. With
a railroad to Gray's Harbor, it is forty
eight hours nearer San Francisco than
any other point on the Sound. With
rail by the Packwood Pass, it is nearer
the rich agricultural lands of Eastern
Washington. As stated before, it is
forty miles nearer our prosperous
neighbor Oregon, than any other point
reached by rail. Navigation to Budd's
Inlet is Away safe and certain.
These facts were all taken into con-
sideration when the Northern Pacific
made its definite location at Olympia.
Unfortunately, it now appears, for us,
the owners of real estate here likewise
realized these conditions. They were
disposed to retain the main advan-
tages resulting from the location of
the terminus at North Olympia, and
in reaching for the whole hog lost their
grip on it's tail before they had it fairly
in the pen and ready for fattening.
A change is, however, gradually
coming over our people. The neces-
city for new policy is becoming
every day more apparent. The meth
DDS of doing business are quite differ
ent from what they were when people
were compelled to send large orders to
San Francisco or Portland quite as
much on account of price as to the ex-
act nature of the article required.
Dry goods can be bought now as
cheaply here as in Portland or Seattle,
thanks to the enterprise of few pro-
gressive firms. The prices of groceries
are fast assuming the level which the
retention of trade, and its ultimate ex-
tension, require. Hardware is follow
ing closely in the wake, and the pros
pect is that very soon Olympia, with